Golf-Full schedule of events lined up for 2012 PGA Tour

The PGA Tour has announced a full schedule of 45 events for the 2012 season, maintaining the same number for a fifth successive year despite the global economic downturn.

The regular season will begin in Kapalua, Hawaii, from Jan. 6-9 with the elite winners-only Hyundai Tournament of Champions and end in Atlanta from Sept. 20-23 with the Tour Championship, the last of four lucrative FedExCup playoff events.

Two tournaments -- the Heritage Classic at Hilton Head, South Carolina and the Bob Hope Classic in La Quinta, California - have acquired title sponsors after not being backed last year.

There have also been several date changes for tournaments, the most notable being the Disney Classic, the final event of the Fall Series, which moves from October to Nov. 8-11.

"The 2012 schedule again demonstrates the strength of our sport with a very strong collection of tournaments, venues and sponsors," commissioner Tim Finchem said in a statement on Wednesday.

"The FedExCup and the PGA Tour playoffs continue to generate interest and excitement through September, with the Fall Series focusing on the drama of players fighting for their playing privileges."

Among notable schedule changes, an off-week will precede the Tour Championship to give players more time to prepare for the regular season finale while the Sep. 6-9 BMW Championship, the third playoff event, will be held for the first time at Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, Indiana.

The World Golf Championship events, one rung down from the majors, will open with the Accenture Match Play Championship in Marana, Arizona in February followed by the WGC-Cadillac Championship in Miami in March.

The third stop in the high-profile series will be the Bridgestone Invitational in Akron, Ohio from Aug. 2-5.